Transparent continuous baffle fare receiving receptacle



l.. coPPoLD 2,514,846

TRANSPARENT coNIINUoUs BARI-LE FARE RECEIVING REcER'rAcLE July 1l, 1950 Filed 001:. 13, 1948 Patented July 11,1950

TRANSPARENT CONTINUOUS YBAFFLE FARE RECEIVING RECEPTACLE Leslie Coppold, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application October 13, 1948, Serial No. 54,261

` In Canada October 14, 1947y 1 Claim.

This invention relates to fare boxes.

In street cars, busvesand the like, it is customary to provide a receptacle in which the passenger deposits his fare either in the form of cash, or in-the form of tickets. Of prime importance is that this receptacle be convenient from the point of view of allowing the passenger to deposit his fare withoutany difficulty, and at the same time, that it is possible to view clearly the fare as it is dropped in from the outside, and to prevent pilfering or withdrawal of cash or tickets from the fare box.

In the prior art, the construction of these boxes has been such that in order to provide a structure capable of guarding against pilfering or withdrawal of cash or tickets from the box, metal frames, tops and ballles have been utilized in a passage leading to a trap-door on which the fare is temporarily retained so that it can be inspected by the conductor before it is allowed to fall into the fare receptacle, and while a portion of the depositing or receiving box is transparent, a completely clear unobstructed View of the fare and the base of the box is not provided for. Furthermore, the use of glass windows in the receptacles leads to breakage. i I

The present invention deals fundamentally with these conditions, and it aims to devise a thoroughly practical solution for them by providing a fare box having the upper portion or receiving receptacle of special construction and made from transparent plastic material. In accordance with the construction, the receptacle is `frameless and includes substantially rectangular elongatedk panels of the transparent plastic material, which constitute the two side and two end walls of a substantially rectangular receptacle adapted to form the vertical ticket passage to the fare receptacle. These panels merge at their adjacent edges to a junction so that the box has, to all intents and purposes, a continuous wall. Where the panels are formed separately the junction may be effected adhesively, if alternatively ythe fare receiving receptacle is made by pressure molding, the entire wall may be integral. Batlle members of a transparent plastic material are situated adjacent to each end of the receptacle and extend lengthwise thereof. These baille members form a substantial continuation of the end walls and have portions which flare inwardly therefrom, to form, with insert members connected at each side of the box adjacent the top, a ticket receiving throat. Below the throat, the ballles extend from side to side of the receptacle and include ilared portions, which are complementary to each other,

2 thereby forming a circuitous ticket passage within the receptacle. The receptacle is provided with a base of transparent plastic material which `is connected to the bottom edges of the side and end panels and there is an opening in the base to allow `the members allowsr forvisibility of the entire interior of the receptacle from all directions.

Having thus generally described the nature of theinvention, particular reference will be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred` embodiment thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a, fare receiving receptacleaccording to the invention.

Figure 2 is a front sectional view taken substantially about the centre line of Figure 1 illustrating the construction thereof.

Figure 3 is a side sectional view taken substantially about the centre line of Figure 1 further illustrating the construction thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 30 represents the metal top of a conventional fare box including a trap-door 25 which is adapted to retain ticket temporarily for inspection and subsequently to release it into the box. It is on the member 30 that the receptacle according to the present invention is mounted for the purpose of receiving the ticket and carrying it through a visible passageway depositing it upon the trapdoor 25. i

The fare receiving receptacle according to the present invention, is made up of side walls I5 and I'l and end walls Il and I3. The side and end walls merge at their adjacent edges to a junction whereby their respective panels form a, substantially continuous wall of said receptacle. I4 and IB represent the bailles which extend (in a preferred form of the invention), from the top edge of the end wall forming a substantial continuation thereof, downwards to adjacent the end of the receptacle. Inwardly flared portions I 4a and I 6a respectively form with insert members I 8 and 20 a restricted throat for receiving the tickets initially. The bailles then have complementary inwardly and outwardly flared portions Ulb` and IBb respectively adapted to form a circuitous passageway for the ticket. The bale members i4 and I6 extend from side to side of the receptacle and are integrally connected with the walls l5 and l1. The baffle member I6 extends inwards to terminate in a serrated end Ic while the baille lll has an outwardly extending portion |40 complementary to the inwardly extending portion |60 and an inwardly extending portion I 4d leading to an opening 26 in the base of the receptacle. The receptacle includes a base portion 22 provided with opening 2li, which leads to; the trap-door 25 and with another opening 23..` adapted to accommodate a projectingportion of y the fare receiving receptacle. Screws 34 extending into the base 22, and threadablylengaged in the tapped holes 24 serve to secure the box to the receptacle. The portion ldd serves as` av slide forthe ticket leading to the opening 26.

In accordance with the invention all the'parts of the fare receiving receptacle are of a transparent plastic material for. example, thermoplastic acrylic-polymer resin. In one form of the devicev these various; parts asY for example, the side andend panels, the baiiles, the insert members, and the base may be vseparately formed and adhesively secured together as for example, adhesi-ve made of a homogeneous plastic material in alsolvent. Alternatively,fthe device may be injece tion molded.

The aforesaid receptacle has all the advantages ofthe conventional fare box asl regards'receiving a vticket and preventing pilfering or the insertion of thehand into the passage, etc. The nature of the material from which the receptacle is fashioned permits complete visibility from any angle without the receptacle so that tickets can be inspected by the operator andmoreover it has beenl found that the tickets slide moreeasily in plastic material than they do ona metallic surface, especially where the plastic material is less subject to changes in the coeflicient of frictionat changes in temperature.

Having thus describedthe invention, whatl is claimedv as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, isz

A fare receivingreceptacle for use on top of a fare box, comprising', substantially rectangular elongated panels of c transparent plastic material constituting the two side and two end walls of aY substantially rectangularxframeless receptacle. adapted to forma substantiallyl vertical passage to the'fare box, thefpanelsfV merging at their adjacent edges to a junction whereby the respective panels form a substantially continuous wall of said box, bale members of transparent plastic material adjacent to each end of the box, and extending lengthwise thereof, the baille members forming a substantial continuation of the end walls and having portions aring inward therefrom, insert members connected to each side of the receptacle adjacentv the top to limit the extent of the opening in a lateral direction, said insert members being of transparent plastic material, said insert members and said inwardly ilaring; portions forming a restricted ticket receiving throat, said bales extending from side to side of the receptacle and being substantially v integrally. connected to the side walls, continuations of'one of the baffle members having an outwardly ared portion and the other baille member having a complementary inwardly flared portion mounted in opposed relationship whereby said bafiies and side panels,present-therebetween a circuitous ticket passage comprisinga series of relatively steep interconnected inclinesf down which a fare will pass by ,lits own weight within the receptacle, a base'on said receptacle of transparent plastic material connected to the bottom edges of said side andend panels, an opening in said-.base and'communicating with saidfare box, an inwardly extending portionof one of-said'balile members constituting a ticket guideway leading to' said-Opening, the interconnection ofthe side and end panels, base and baille members,y giving the receptacle structural rigidity and, strength and -the transparency ofthe members permitting visibilityr of the entire interior ofthe receptacle from all directions'thereabout;

LESLIE COPPOLD.-

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the i'lle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 14, 1933 

